At this year's MWC, hundreds of technology companies showcased their latest and greatest products, with smartphones deserving a star, with Samsung, Huawei, Sony and LG all launching themselves at the conference Mobile device.
But aside from these big companies, many small companies have introduced quite similar phones, leaving many analysts complaining about the stagnation of smartphones.
Ben Wood, head of CCS Insight, a market research firm, said: 'In addition to the financial giant's flagship device, there are a lot of plain old and mid-range Android phones, so that this exhibition has become a veritable '. Garbage Product Big Party' risk. '
According to Gartner's data, in 2017, sales of smartphones fell for the first time since 2004. Consumers hold mobile phones longer. Gartner said: 'Users have high expectations for new mobile phones, but these There is no obvious bright spot for the device, which weakens the smartphone sales.
So the question is, have we reached the pinnacle of the smartphone industry? What is the next wave of innovation?
In the short term, Wood thinks that the appearance of smart phones will not change much, even if foldable displays are available.
'Smart phone innovation has stagnated, we can only gradually improve the old design of success, which is a challenge for everyone. We are currently unclear, where the next disruptive innovation will come from,' Wood said.
At present, the main focus of some top players is artificial intelligence. Samsung demonstrated the improved Bixby and built this assistant into the Galaxy S9. Both Google and Apple use artificial intelligence in their software, and Huawei’s The flagship model Mate 10 Pro has a dedicated artificial intelligence chip built-in.
Some analysts believe that this is where smart phones can improve.
Francisco Jeronimo, director of mobile device research for IDC in Europe, said: 'Today's smartphones are indeed the same profile, but when people see what the smartphones can do for them, they do not. This is not about what we can do with smartphones, but what the phone can do on our behalf, which is where artificial intelligence can work.